Moon-talk
Moon, creamy white stone,
precious . . . Stick with the legends –
better at a distance.
My litany could go on –
I don’t want to visit,
take a machine-ride against gravity
brain-open.
But if I change my mind
Moon won’t have any
say in it.
©Katherine Gallagher
(Published in The Eye’s Circle, Rigmarole Press)
Moon Zoom
JR Poulter
Looking at the Moon through Binoculars
Perfectly round
the moon comes into focus,
luminous, haloed,
almost close enough to touch.
In this lunar landscape
there are mountains, craters
highlands and valleys,
the Sea of Tranquility,
the Ocean of Storms.
Three days’ journey
catapulted through
the blackness of space
past comets, stars
and satellites to reach
my destination.
I’d land on the bright side
of the moon,
my boots sinking into
silvery dust, soft like snow,
I’d jump over moon rocks,
check for signs of life,
then I’d turn to face the earth,
blue and green and beautiful
and I would wave.
Upside-down Moon-face
Serenitatis and
Imbrium Mares
are names for the eyes
of the “Man” up there.
Asteroid impacts
made volcanoes blow,
so Moon’s molten lava
began to flow.
These large lunar seas
then cooled, hard and black,
so the full-Moon has patches
for eyes that stare back.
Cognitum and
Nubrium Mares
make his grin.
But he’s upside down
when WE look at him!
Inspired by this article:
https://www.space.com/2036-origins-man-moon.html
The Origins Of The Man In The Moon
By Ker Than February 09, 2006 Science & Astronomy
An image of the moon taken by Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong in July of 1969.
(Image: © NASA)
The “Man in the Moon” illusion, familiar to various cultures around the world, was created by powerful asteroid impacts that rocked the satellite billions of years ago, a new study suggests.
The study, performed by Laramie Potts and Ralph von Frese of Ohio State University, reveals that ancient lunar impacts played a much larger role in shaping the Moon’s surface than scientists had previously thought. It may also help explain the origins of two mysterious bulges on the Moon’s surface.
The new analysis reveal that shock waves from some of the Moon’s early asteroid impacts traveled through the lunar interior, triggering volcanic eruptions on the Moon’s opposite side. Molten magma spewed out from the deep interior and flooded the lunar landscape.
When the magma cooled, it created dark patches on the Moon called “lunar maria” or “lunar seas.”
During a full Moon, some of these patches combine to form what looks like a grinning human face, commonly known as the “Man in the Moon.” The man’s eyes are the Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis, its nose is the Sinus Aestuum and its grinning mouth is the Mare Nubium and Mare Cognitum.
The effects of some of those traveling shock waves are still visible in the Moon’s interior today. Cross-sectional images of the insides reveal that a part of the mantle, the section between the Moon’s core and crust, still juts into its core today, 700 miles below the point of one of the impacts. The images were created from data collected by NASA’s Clementine and Lunar Prospector satellites.
Mysterious bulges
Early surveys by the Apollo missions revealed that the moon isn’t a perfect sphere. There is a bulge on the Earth-facing side, called the near side, and another bulge on the far side.
According to one hypothesis, these bulges are the result of Earth’s gravity tugging on the Moon during the early years following its cataclysmic formation, when its surface was still molten and malleable.
The current study suggests that this scenario is only partly correct. The researchers think the Moon was struck by at least two very powerful asteroid impacts in its past (in addition to countless smaller impacts that left smaller craters easily identifiable still today). One of the major impacts struck the near side, sending shock waves that traveled through the lunar interior to create the bulge on the far side; the other impact struck the far side and created the bulge on the side.
The researchers think the impacts happened about four billion years ago. At that time, roughly half a billion years after the birth of the solar system, the Moon was still geologically active and its core and mantle were still molten and malleable.
Back then, the Moon was much closer to the Earth than it is today and the gravitational interactions between the two were much stronger. The researchers think that when magma spilled out of the Moon’s interior, Earth’s gravity immediately grabbed hold and hasn’t let go since.
“This research shows that even after the collisions happened, the Earth had a profound effect on the Moon,” Potts said.
The findings were detailed in a recent issue of the journal Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors.
Polly Puss sat on the fence
sailing with his fate
Until the day the farmer opened up the farmyard gate
The sheep went out
the cows came in
which left Puss quite bemused
addressing those then left to listen
before access was closed
Alpca stretched their long necks longer
their ears pricked to his chatter
‘It matters that the sheep were led;
that cows made all that clatter
This fence is the dividing line
thin as this here whisker’
Pussy plucked to prove his point
which drew a nasty blister
‘But anyway, I rule the roost
from here, this narrow line
So just stay put you woolley herd
alpacas will be fine
You know, the gate was opened
so the tractor could pass through
Those beasts weren’t meant to cross the fence
The system’s gone askew
The grass is never greener
on the other side, you see
Those sheep and cows will end up
on the farmer’s plate for tea.’
Cat on a Post
“What is that?” The young Alpaca asked
Looking at a creature on the post,
And the others just stared in amazement,
Not wanting to get very close.
“I don’t know” the mother answered,
Whilst stretching her neck out longer,
All ears were pricked and eyes just stared,
At this creature, whose stare was stronger.
“I’m a cat chasing a mouse” , it said
“When through this fence it scurried,
And I was unable to follow it,
No matter how much I hurried.
The mouse disappeared into the grass,
And up this post I ran,
Looking far across this field,
At least that was my plan.
And then you interrupted me,
By standing in my way,
Asking each other silly questions,
Whilst I lost sight of my prey”.
The Alpacas’ were stunned at this outburst,
And there was nothing left to do,
But turn around and wander off,
Leaving the cat to stew.
Mobility Ability
Milk bottle lids are truly tops
For all the haves and have nots.
3D printed hands – picture the vision
Prosthetic limbs now fit with precision.
Milk bottle lids benefit other kids
From overseas – here at home as well.
Farmers need sales; let’s milk these lids
A million saved already – see them swell.
Lids for 3D printing – what a fundraiser
For people needing hands, we can save ya!
We’re 10cc’s of water and
although the Earth’s our base
we recently went travelling
up there – in outer space.
An astronaut had drunk us
just before his rocket ride.
And so we were the stowaways
that hid in his insides.
Meeting different molecules
we made a lot of friends.
With some we only mingled
while with others we held hands.
While staying in the astronaut
we all kept nice and warm
and floated round inside him and
explored his body’s form.
Eventually he moved us out.
So off we raced in glee.
With other friends I think we were
all classified as pee.
We found ourselves inside a box
with membrane walls all new.
Its holes were just the perfect size
for water to get through.
We said goodbye to all our friends
as they were far too fat
to wriggle through those membrane walls
and join us for a chat.
Now squeaky clean we hung around
inside some holding pen.
Until we found ourselves inside
the astronaut again!
We’ve just installed a bee hive
in our garden – what a fright.
Well, that is what I thought when bumble bees came into sight.
I’d squeal and flap my arms around-
‘Don’t come next to me.
Get out of our garden, you’re spoiling dolly’s tea.
Polly put the kettle on,
we’ll scare them off with steam.’
It didn’t work and all I did was run and hide and scream.
But Mum and Dad explained my fear
which swiftly flew away.
‘Bees are good ecology,
ensuring coming days.
Busy workers demonstrate the ethics of hard work,
collecting pollen from the flowers-
the spreading is a perk.
Without the buzzy, fuzzy mites
we wouldn’t have our food.’
And being as I love my grub,
‘That would be mighty rude.’
Australian Children’s Poetry 